How to Get People to Take Your Celiac Disease Seriously

AKA a ranty-rant of a post at 2 in the morning because I've been sick since Thursday

When you have celiac disease and you go to a restaurant that is not completely gluten-free, you'll probably have a conversation that's something like this (at least this is how the conversation sounds in my head):

you: Is the (whatever food) gluten-free?
Waiter: I think so.
you: I need to know if it is though because I have celiac disease so I can't eat gluten.
Waiter:  Would you die if you ate gluten?
you: Yes I would literally die if I ate gluten. (Because literally means figuratively now and don't even get me started on that!)
Waiter (if they are the sort of person who doesn't want to be responsible for a dead body being in the restaurant): Maybe you should eat at a different restaurant instead.

This is literally (almost) a conversation I had at a restaurant about six months after being diagnosed with celiac disease.  My friends took me there because they had gluten-free sandwiches!  After a lot of interrogation I learned that the gluten-free bread for the sandwiches is put on the same grill as the gluten bread, causing cross-contamination.  It's not all bad though because I discovered an amazing gluten-free bakery a block away and may or may not have filled up on pastry samples and then bought a dozen more pastries to take with me.

My point (if I even have one) is that gluten is a tricky little thing.  My doctor had me do an allergy test earlier this month to make sure I was getting the proper nutrients on my gluten-free diet.  I was low on vitamin D and iron, so she gave me vitamins to take to bring my energy levels back to normal.  Everything was going along normally, except I was burping a lot more than normal during the first week, but whatever!  And then on Thursday none of my food stayed down, and I thought, "Here we go again".  Because one of the super fun things about celiac disease is that without a pill that doesn't exist yet to take in addition to a gluten-free diet, you're just going to get sick every so often.  Just because.  Cut to Tuesday and I have a realization.  The symptoms started when I started taking those vitamins.  And wouldn't you know it that since stopping the vitamins and not taking the ones I was supposed to take that night, my symptoms have improved.  I even managed to keep down a half a bowl of cereal today, and then later a bowl of soup!  So I'm pretty sure that the vitamins my doctor gave me to make me better have gluten in them, despite the fact that she knows I have celiac disease because she diagnosed me and we were discussing it right before that.

So I got a week off of work unexpectedly.  But it was not fun.  I spent it in various ways of being sick, Pinning delicious looking gluten free recipes because I couldn't keep food down but I was so HUNGRY, alternating with crying a lot, and sleeping for up to 18 hours a day.  So I was frustrated.  So I ranted.  And that is all.

Friday Fashion: Ice Cream Date Outfit

"I want it to look like I'm afraid the airplane is going to crash into me."

 bag, shoes, belt, and plaid shirt: thrifted | jeans: Forever 21 |

shirt: Qwertee | necklace: Zombie Valley | hat: Wish

Last week I had a doctor appointment and afterward Jordan and I went on a date to a thrift store and then got ice cream at Molly Moon's.  I am so in love with their vegan coconut chunk ice cream!  We got a KitchenAid blender at the thrift store for just $7.50!  Hello smoothies :)  And I got a cardigan and another hoodie because the clothing was all 50% off.  It was a nice way to spend such a sunny day.

This post contains an affiliate link to an item that I love.

Friday Fashion: What to Wear to Target

We went to Target and Ross earlier this week because we needed some things and actually have money to spend on things now that we share a room.  The bus took forever to get to the stop so we entertained ourselves by taking selfies and outfit photos while we waited.

This is what happens when I suggest that we take a picture with only half of our faces in the photo.

so fashion-y

Balancing weirdly is one of my go-to poses.

bag and top: thrifted | boots and flannel: Valley of Roses Boutique |

jeans and hair bow: Forever 21 | necklace: Honeybee Alley

Jordan and I bought a total of 5 vintage flannel shirts from Valley of Roses Boutique for under $100 total.  This is one of those shirts.  The one Jordan is wearing in the first picture is another one.  We share them because they fit both of us, which is really cool.  My old jeans have been wearing out lately and two pairs have zippers that will not stay up so I bought some new jeans.  Forever 21 is the only company I can buy jeans from online and know that they'll fit so I went there first.  I found these ones and two other pairs for under $8 each!  And I bought this cute hair bow too because it was just 99 cents and I couldn't resist.

This post contains affiliate links to items that I love.

Book Wish List

If you're anything like me you shouldn't go in a book store unless it's a used book store, and even then only sometimes.  Well I went in a bookstore and then I drooled all over the books (not literally though because gross).  Here are three that it took all of my willpower not to buy.  Okay, so to be honest I probably would have bought at least one if I had money besides my rent money.

I never really read non-fiction before because I thought it was boring, kind of like how I used to not watch documentaries.  I found out that non-fiction can be super interesting when it's about topics I find interesting.  Seems like a no-brainer but it's a pretty recent revelation for me.  I especially enjoy reading biographies about mental illness, medical history/quackery, and curiosities.

If you want to catch up on what I've been reading lately and see my never-ending always-expanding wishlist, follow me on Goodreads!

Do you have any good non-fiction recommendations for me?  I'll add them to my list!

Where to Shop in Seattle: Monster Art and Clothing

I love monsters, art, and clothing, so when I heard the name of this shop I knew I had to go there.  I went after I got off work on the same day that I learned of its existence.  And I was in love.  It was all I could do not to buy one of just about everything in the store!

the sidewalk outside the shop is so pretty!

Justin Hillgrove is my absolute favorite artist!  I love his Imps and Monsters art and I picked up the first issue of his Implands comic book at the store.

These skirts are so good!  I ended up coming back and buying the Marvel superheroes one.

This store is great and I keep wanting to buy more things!  They carry art, clothing, gifts, and accessories from many different local artists.  And there's plenty of nerdy monstrous goodness everywhere you look.

I'm Still Not Dead

I just realized that after my last post, unless you know me in real life or follow me on social media, you guys probably think I died of a gallstone.  I did not.  Or I'm a ghost.  One of those.  (Hint: It's the first one.)  I have been super stressed and trying to make a last-minute move to a bigger room in my house happen.  And now I am all moved in and wanting to unpack, but I have caught a horrible cold so I'm forcing myself to not move any heavy furniture until I feel better.  Also since I've been getting sick so much I have started working only three days a week with a day off in-between each day that I work.  And I've started taking vitamins.  Fascinating, I know.  Anyway hopefully I will be spending more time on here in the near-ish future.  But for now I am watching Netflix and convalescing forever.